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Wired for Sound: Now That's What I Call an Eighties Music Childhood
A charmingly nostalgic and humorous memoir of growing up during the decade in which music changed forever - the 1980s.
- GenresMusic
401 pages, Paperback
First published January 1, 2012
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Displaying 1 - 23 of 23 reviews
August 4, 2017
Once I started reading this book, I couldn't put it down. Tom Bromley has written a classic account of THE musical decade of my life - the 1980s - and it's brilliant. At last someone has unashamedly put the 1980s into proper context musically and Bromley's book makes for fascinating reading. Sure he covers the excesses of that era but contrary to received wisdom, these were not an endorsement of Thatcherism but rather often a reaction against the reactionary politics of the decade. All the key players are there - Duran Duran, Spandau, Depeche Mode, The Human League, Heaven 17, Tears for Fears, Dexy's, The Housemartins, The Style Council, ABC, Propaganda, even the inestimable Japan get a solitary mention - Bromley's only mis-step as everyone knows David Sylvia and his Catford mates were the best band ever. Still I'll forgive the author this error as he seems like an all round decent chap and a fellow Yorkshireman and he replies to my tweets! Anyway, to cut a long story short, (see what I did there?), this is a must-read book for anyone who remembers the 1980s with fondness. Hunt it down from wherever you can find it. You won't regret it.
January 15, 2023
Like much of the eighties pop music at it's heart, Wired for Sound is a bit of a guilty pleasure. It makes for a nice little slice of nostalgia though as the author, Tom Bromley recounts his youth as a chart and pop obsessed teen. For better or worse, the music of your teenage years is likely to carry the most emotional weight (or make you cringe at the memory) and this book manages to combine it with an innocence and enthusiasm that is often charming. It is cute in places and, although it doesn't offer a great deal of insight, it does recall a simpler time when we were, for better or worse, often on the same page musically. Even if a lot of the tracks discussed are still that part of your record collection that you find yourself apologising for, it is still always nice to catch up with old friends.
April 14, 2013
Chatty style made this a pageturner. Very readable, although a number of grammatical mistakes and doubled words jarred with this: Good author, but sack the proofreader!
October 24, 2017
I wasn’t sure what to expect of this, and I’m still slightly confused by its modus operandi now.
It recaps the 80s well, a time when music was pivotal to me too. I was a music snob though, and treated a lot of the artists this book focuses on with huge disdain.
Time has mellowed me, and I can see the gold amongst the dirt now.
There were some interesting facts unearthed during my read of this, but I wasn’t gasping with new information on every page.
It’s a nostalgic trip through a decade that saw the last real variety in music, for which I’m very grateful.
It recaps the 80s well, a time when music was pivotal to me too. I was a music snob though, and treated a lot of the artists this book focuses on with huge disdain.
Time has mellowed me, and I can see the gold amongst the dirt now.
There were some interesting facts unearthed during my read of this, but I wasn’t gasping with new information on every page.
It’s a nostalgic trip through a decade that saw the last real variety in music, for which I’m very grateful.
April 19, 2022
Heerlijk om terug te gaan naar deze tijd en m'n eigen herinneringen geactiveerd te laten worden door de persoonlijke verhalen van Tom, die hij aanvult met feiten uit die tijd. Hij weet veel, is gepassioneerd & heeft goed onderzoek gedaan. Een hartverwarmend boek met veel leuke kleine weetjes. Ik heb het niet uitgelezen omdat het op een gegeven moment wel heel veel feiten waren die in mij op elkaar gestapeld werden en dat sloot niet aan bij m'n behoefte.
November 9, 2018
We ain't ever gonna be Respectable.
A Great read.It was very easy reading for me ,probably because there are only a few months in age between myself and the author. To say some things struck a nostalgic chord would be an understatement.
But am I the only person from the eighties who thinks that Touchy by A-ha was a top tune,Rave on .
A Great read.It was very easy reading for me ,probably because there are only a few months in age between myself and the author. To say some things struck a nostalgic chord would be an understatement.
But am I the only person from the eighties who thinks that Touchy by A-ha was a top tune,Rave on .
September 25, 2025
For someone who is around the same age as Tom (the Author) this was a terrific ride though my past , I was laughing out loud in some parts
I'm going to say this on the quiet but I quite liked some of the stock /Aitken /waterman tunes .....
oh come on Tom I did give you 5 stars !!!! ha ha
brilliant book !
I'm going to say this on the quiet but I quite liked some of the stock /Aitken /waterman tunes .....
oh come on Tom I did give you 5 stars !!!! ha ha
brilliant book !
July 11, 2019
Nostalgic fun
This book takes me back to my early discoveries of pop music in the 1980s. While I came to pop in the mid/late 80s, this is a grateful through a decade of musically diverse artists, interspersed with the author's own experiences.
This book takes me back to my early discoveries of pop music in the 1980s. While I came to pop in the mid/late 80s, this is a grateful through a decade of musically diverse artists, interspersed with the author's own experiences.
July 9, 2021
4 stars. A fun, interesting step back in time (to quote Kylie). A nice mix of the author's memories of the era, and facts about the bands, scenes, charts and TV/radio programmes of a hugely important decade in popular music history.
February 21, 2019
A bit too clever in the asides at points, but otherwise a fun read.
August 11, 2023
So good,got me though a muddy festival when Midge performed. Now want to read the TV one
February 1, 2024
If you lived in the eighties, couldn't miss Top of the Pops, and loved making tapes from the Sunday Top 40, then this book is for you
October 14, 2016
During our 2016 summer vacation to the British Isles, I found this in the half-off stack at an Inverness store. As I had immersed myself in pop music right smack in the middle of the 1980’s, it had my name written all over it. A couple of months after our return to the States, it finally came up in my queue.
As the stats indicate, it was a very quick read. Certainly the subject matter is a major reason for that, but Bromley proves himself up to the task of building on this. He paints an avid picture of what it was like to grow up in “Old” York, and, to my pleasant surprise, provides insight into Britain’s economic climate for that decade (Thatcher’s England sounds a lot like Reagan’s Midwest, only worse).
The more I read about Britpop, the more I appreciate what’s played in the States – yes, there is crap here too, but it does seem as if Americans have a tolerance filter, whether we admit to it or not. Certainly the author shows a disdain for a certain type of overproduced music (saving the bulk of his ire for the works of Stock, Aiken and Waterman, with a side divvy to our Debbie Gibson), and like I’m sure many of us, welcomed the likes of Stone Roses and Happy Mondays in 1989.
Until reading this, I’d not been entirely clear on how big the likes of Spandau Ballet and Frankie Goes to Hollywood were in the UK – certainly I’m more acquainted with Duran Duran and WHAM! whereas the others had only a handful of stateside hits. And now I have to figure out what’s so dirty about “Relax”!
The book’s not for everyone – if you want an exhaustive analysis of Depeche Mode, you’ll have to look elsewhere (and they’re curiously ignored here). The author is self-depreciating, almost to a fault at times, but for me, it certainly rang home.
As the stats indicate, it was a very quick read. Certainly the subject matter is a major reason for that, but Bromley proves himself up to the task of building on this. He paints an avid picture of what it was like to grow up in “Old” York, and, to my pleasant surprise, provides insight into Britain’s economic climate for that decade (Thatcher’s England sounds a lot like Reagan’s Midwest, only worse).
The more I read about Britpop, the more I appreciate what’s played in the States – yes, there is crap here too, but it does seem as if Americans have a tolerance filter, whether we admit to it or not. Certainly the author shows a disdain for a certain type of overproduced music (saving the bulk of his ire for the works of Stock, Aiken and Waterman, with a side divvy to our Debbie Gibson), and like I’m sure many of us, welcomed the likes of Stone Roses and Happy Mondays in 1989.
Until reading this, I’d not been entirely clear on how big the likes of Spandau Ballet and Frankie Goes to Hollywood were in the UK – certainly I’m more acquainted with Duran Duran and WHAM! whereas the others had only a handful of stateside hits. And now I have to figure out what’s so dirty about “Relax”!
The book’s not for everyone – if you want an exhaustive analysis of Depeche Mode, you’ll have to look elsewhere (and they’re curiously ignored here). The author is self-depreciating, almost to a fault at times, but for me, it certainly rang home.
September 10, 2014
Warning! This book will leave you happy, nostalgic and reaching for your Walkman!
Tells the roller coaster fortunes of 80's music, bands and groups. It is a very warm, intimate and personal retelling of his childhood through music fads and 80's zeitgeist. It also reveals the impact 80's music made on the author's life and other similarly aged boys and girls.
The book is written in two parts -Side A (1980-1984) and Side B (1985-1989). Each individual chapter (or Track Number, in this case) is given a song title (Vienna, Club Tropicana etc.) that is pivotal to the theme of that chapter - how the song came to be, achieved fame (or notoriety) and how it was intertwined with the author's life. This was extremely clever and served its purpose to make you feel like you were listening to a mix-tape!
The writing is very funny, lighthearted, witty and easy to read. The content is well-researched and written in a way to compliment each chapter and musical fact. I had no idea Boy George was semi-stoned (after jumping off the Concorde) while laying down his vocal tracks on Do They Know It's Christmas! Nor that they had to re-issue a-ha's Take On Me at least three times before it would become a hit!
Growing up in the 80's myself, I could easily relate to the author's experiences, girl troubles and family life. I would highly recommend one reads this book with the Spotify playlist (the author created one) or with a YouTube 80's channel playing in the background. While it will appeal mainly to anyone growing up in that era - given the resurgence of 80's sounds these days it may also resonate with younger readers, too.
Tells the roller coaster fortunes of 80's music, bands and groups. It is a very warm, intimate and personal retelling of his childhood through music fads and 80's zeitgeist. It also reveals the impact 80's music made on the author's life and other similarly aged boys and girls.
The book is written in two parts -Side A (1980-1984) and Side B (1985-1989). Each individual chapter (or Track Number, in this case) is given a song title (Vienna, Club Tropicana etc.) that is pivotal to the theme of that chapter - how the song came to be, achieved fame (or notoriety) and how it was intertwined with the author's life. This was extremely clever and served its purpose to make you feel like you were listening to a mix-tape!
The writing is very funny, lighthearted, witty and easy to read. The content is well-researched and written in a way to compliment each chapter and musical fact. I had no idea Boy George was semi-stoned (after jumping off the Concorde) while laying down his vocal tracks on Do They Know It's Christmas! Nor that they had to re-issue a-ha's Take On Me at least three times before it would become a hit!
Growing up in the 80's myself, I could easily relate to the author's experiences, girl troubles and family life. I would highly recommend one reads this book with the Spotify playlist (the author created one) or with a YouTube 80's channel playing in the background. While it will appeal mainly to anyone growing up in that era - given the resurgence of 80's sounds these days it may also resonate with younger readers, too.
November 29, 2024
Being born in 1972 this book was a good fit. The whole 80s nostalgia is a little tiresome however Tom doesn't take the usual and often easy path of the old "remember this" he actually brings his own experience and personality to the table.
The latter half was more enjoyable for me and there were some nuggets I didn't know.
We were all invited to a different 80s party and it's nice to hear someone else's recollections
Easy read on a well written about subject.
The latter half was more enjoyable for me and there were some nuggets I didn't know.
We were all invited to a different 80s party and it's nice to hear someone else's recollections
Easy read on a well written about subject.
November 7, 2016
A warm and comforting romp through my best decade for music - the first half at least! I think Tom could have spent a little more time on the Pet Shop Boys and surprised at little mention of Vince Clarke/Depeche Mode/Yazoo/Erasure or the monster that was Brothers in Arms but it's autobiographical not a history! Recommended.
January 18, 2015
Superb. I wondered if he was reading my secret diaries of the era as I agreed with everything he said re charts, trends and bands (well, except Duran Duran). Lots of memories and lots of long-forgotten facts I used to know religiously back in the day. Great fun.
January 17, 2013
Great stuff for any child of the eighties music lover.
February 1, 2016
Really good fun
May 12, 2015
As a 80's music lover (in fact all things 80's!) I really liked this one.
It chronicles the rise of 80's bands and discusses the music in general, all interspersed with a bit of humour.
It chronicles the rise of 80's bands and discusses the music in general, all interspersed with a bit of humour.
August 11, 2015
As others have said this is a great nostalgic read for readers of a certain age. Would highly recommend.
August 25, 2016
As always, a terrific, informative, quirky, and amusing book from Tom Bromley- packed full of nostalgia too - now where are my harem pants!
Displaying 1 - 23 of 23 reviews